Marcelo Henrique Teixeira Dias, commonly known as Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, was appointed as Minister of Tourism of Brazil in 2019. He has made immediate impact by implementing visa-free travel to Brazil for major countries, total opening of airlines to foreign capital, and successful attraction of foreign tourism investment. A businessman who studied Civil Engineering at Centro Universitario de Belo Horizonte, Mr. Marcelo entered politics in 2012, initially elected as congressman of Belo Horizonte. In 2015, he joined the Joint Parliamentary Front in Defense of Tourism (FRENTUR), an alliance of congressmen and senators. He became Chair of directorate in Minas Gerais for Liberal Social Party (PSL) in the same year and was elected as senator of Minas Gerais for two terms. Mr. Marcelo was awarded Medal of Legislative Merit by the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais in 2012, Medal of Inconfidence by the State Government of Minas Gerais in 2015, and Great Necklace of Legislative Merit of the City Council of Belo Horizonte in 2018.